Pakistan’s education challenge begins well before primary school. ASER 2023 reported that 58% of children aged 3–5 in rural Punjab were not enrolled in any early childhood education programme, while millions of older children remain out of school. For us, this raised an important question: how can the public system give children a stronger start?
Punjab had already taken important steps to introduce ECE classrooms in government schools. However, we saw an opportunity to move beyond access and the provision of an ECE space towards a comprehensive model of quality early learning; one designed around how young children actually learn, develop and thrive.
The Child at the Centre was created to demonstrate what this could look like within the public sector. Instead of treating curriculum, teacher training, assessment, inclusion, and parent engagement as separate interventions, we brought them together around each child's needs. Play, inquiry and exploration replaced an early push towards formal schooling; teachers became facilitators and observers of learning; formative assessment informed next steps; families became learning partners; and inclusion was built into the model rather than added later.
Our purpose was not to create an exceptional school that could only work with exceptional resources, but to develop a coherent model that could inform early-learning practice across the public sector. At its heart is a simple belief: a child’s access to quality education.
Walk into an NSCoE classroom and the difference is visible in how children learn. Children aged 3.5–8 are not expected to sit quietly and receive information. They explore, question, build, read, talk, create, move and solve problems through play, inquiry and purposeful hands-on experiences. Literacy and numeracy are intentionally developed, but alongside art, physical development, languages, technology, reading and exploration.
Teachers act as facilitators and observers of learning. They plan around clear learning outcomes while responding to children’s interests, needs and progress. Assessment is used to understand the child rather than simply produce a score. Observations, phonics and mathematics progress checks, running records and portfolios help teachers identify where each child is and plan appropriate next steps, supported by digital progress tracking.
The same child-centred approach extends beyond the classroom. Teachers receive ongoing professional development, coaching and feedback rather than one-off training. Families participate in orientations, phonics, reading and other learning sessions so that learning continues at home. Inclusion is embedded through early identification, classroom support and referral pathways when specialist support is needed.
The innovation is therefore not one new curriculum or tool. It is a connected public-sector ecosystem where pedagogy, assessment, teachers, families, inclusion and the learning environment work together.
The Child at the Centre is spreading through a deliberate demonstrate–learn–adapt–scale approach. NSCoE began in Lahore in 2025 with 240 children and has grown to 450 children, extending the model from Pre-K and Kindergarten into the early primary years. Strong public demand; 1,525 applications for 150 available places for 2026–27, has further reinforced the need to take quality early learning beyond one campus.
The next phase extends this learning across 10 districts of Punjab, using NSCoE as the demonstration and capacity-building hub. Rather than replicating an expensive school infrastructure, the focus is on transferring adaptable components of the model; child-centred pedagogy, structured early literacy, formative assessment, teacher development, inclusion, family engagement and monitoring, to existing public-school contexts.
This process has already begun through professional development and capacity building of government teachers, including training in early literacy and phonics. Partnerships with government institutions, universities and education organisations are helping refine and document the model and its tools.
The longer-term ambition is to use evidence from Lahore and the 10-district expansion to understand what works across different contexts and progressively inform quality early-learning practice across Punjab.
The model has evolved continuously since its launch in 2025. Classroom observations, teacher feedback, assessment evidence and engagement with families have been used to refine curriculum, lesson planning and teaching practices.
Early literacy was strengthened through more systematic phonics, blending and reading practices, while formative assessment tools, running records and portfolios were introduced to give teachers a clearer picture of individual progress. Digital child-progress tracking has also been added to support more responsive planning.
As the model developed, inclusion became a more explicit component, with a framework for early identification, classroom support and referral pathways. Family engagement also moved beyond orientation towards practical learning partnerships, including phonics and reading sessions with parents.
The model has now expanded from Pre-K and Kindergarten into Grade 1, allowing us to explore continuity between early childhood and the early primary years. Each addition is treated as an opportunity to learn, refine and strengthen the model before wider adaptation.
Start with the child, not the infrastructure. The model does not require replicating NSCoE’s campus or facilities. Begin by reviewing the experience of children in your existing setting: how they learn, play, interact, are assessed and supported, and how teachers and families contribute to their learning.
Then build the model gradually around a few connected areas: developmentally appropriate, play- and inquiry-based pedagogy; strong early literacy and numeracy; continuous teacher development and coaching; formative assessment based on observation and progress; meaningful family engagement; and inclusive practices that respond to individual needs.
Prepare teachers before introducing new tools or curricula, and create regular opportunities for observation, reflection and feedback. Use simple evidence of children’s progress to identify what is working and what needs adjustment.
Most importantly, adapt rather than copy. The Child at the Centre is intended as a framework that can work with different resources and contexts. Schools can begin with one classroom or grade, test the approach, learn from implementation and expand gradually. NSCoE’s experience, tools and learning can provide a reference point for that journey.
